The renewables experts at this year’s Ecobuild Exhibition are cautiously returning home in their Toyota Prius cars after another successful year at Earls Court.

For those of you not familiar with the event, Ecobuild is widely stated to be ‘the biggest event in the world for sustainable design, construction and the built environment’.

It is also one of the most informative exhibitions, packed to the rafters with industry experts debating the latest technology for the renewable market.  At this year’s event we were all too aware of the impact of the recession on the construction industry so it was encouraging to see so many (some 1000 suppliers exhibiting) talking about new policies, initiatives and the impact of the upcoming election.

The buzz at the Glow-worm stand centred around our plans for the new Clearly Hybrid Air to Water Heat Pump, due to launch later in the year.  There was a lot of interest for social housing schemes in particular, and from those generally keen to benefit from the cost and carbon savings the product delivers by taking energy prices and outdoor temperature into account.

Elsewhere around the exhibition halls, I met with the Energy Saving Trust discussing energy efficiency best practice.  And on a lighter note, they were also promoting the Great British Refurb campaign, fronted by TV green build guru Kevin McCloud – worth a look.

The 8 metre high cube living walls, dubbed Cityscape, dominated the sight lines in the main exhibition hall – an impressive demonstration of the latest environmental and green wall technologies, combined with architectural products.

Sitting in on a Wednesday afternoon debate regarding the future of British architecture brought my visit to a close – and I was left with an encouraging after taste.  Despite the challenges the past year has brought and those that lay ahead  – the impact of the feed in energy tariff to name but one – exhibitors and visitors at Ecobuild appear to maintain a common belief in the future of renewables.  Across micro-renewables to water management systems to the latest in energy efficiency products, eco-buildings are no longer just for the philanthropic amongst us, but an accessible (welcomed) reality for the wider masses.